These days, a print system in which a printer is shared using a network has been increasingly used. Namely, by connecting plural computers as print clients to one network and connecting, for example, one printer to this network, the one printer can accept print data from the plural print clients and print the print data.
In such a print system using the network, various users can transmit print data from their respective print clients to the printer and perform printing operations.
However, if the print data transmitted from the print clients is printed by the printer unconditionally, a print operation is executed even by the printer which is not installed in a place where the users intend to perform the printing operation. In particular, in the printer which is moved from one place where the printer has been heretofore used to another place, an IP address or the like which is an address on the network sometimes remains unchanged, and hence the transmitted print data may be printed by the printer moved to another place. The above situation is undesirable for users who want to ensure the security of print data.
Moreover, if the print data transmitted from the print clients is printed by the printer unconditionally, even print data transmitted from the print clients which are not duly authorized to perform printing with the printer is printed by the printer. In this case, print clients able to perform printing with the printer cannot be restricted, which is undesirable as well. Especially when the possibility of the existence of users who transmit a large amount of print data with dishonest intention is considered, it is necessary to provide some print restriction.
Further, in some cases, a printer which has been used in one department of a company is moved to another department and used there. In such a case, even print clients which have heretofore had the authority of perform printing with this printer are not sometimes wanted to be given the authority to perform printing with this printer after the printer has been moved. In the above situation, there are needs for technology which prevents print data from the print clients from being printed on the printer side (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-331144).
Furthermore, it can be assumed that by manipulating path information on the network to install the same printer in a different position and using the same network address, another printer disguises itself as a true printer.
Moreover, there exists a printer into which a certificate to authenticate the printer itself is incorporated, and when this printer is discarded, it is necessary to certainly delete the certificate incorporated into the printer. However, if a printer becomes unable to execute a print operation by only changing the installation place of the printer, the printer can be discarded more safely.
Hence, the present invention is made in view of the aforementioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a print system which ensures security of print data and a printer by restricting print data which can be printed based on information on a position where the printer is installed. Another object is to provide a data transmitting and receiving system which ensures security of transmitted data and a data receiving device by restricting data which can be processed based on information on a position where the data receiving device is installed.